Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus sit down with cultural historian Dr. Kelly J. Baker to explore America’s enduring obsession with a zombie apocalypse. What does our fascination with the undead reveal about our fears, values, and survival instincts? And how do imagined apocalyptic scenarios shape—or reflect—our responses to real-world crises?

 

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Description:

Dr. Lynn Price Robbins and Isaac S. Loftus sit down with cultural historian Dr. Kelly J. Baker to explore America’s enduring obsession with a zombie apocalypse. What does our fascination with the undead reveal about our fears, values, and survival instincts? And how do imagined apocalyptic scenarios shape—or reflect—our responses to real-world crises?

 

Please support this podcast by checking out our patreon:

www.patreon.com/primarysourcemedia

 

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introductions

1:25 - How did you get into zombies?

8:06 - Zombies in American culture

13:32 - Moralism in the horror genre

16:48 - How does a zombie apocalypse compare to historical, real life apocalypses

27:47 - What is a luxury morality, where do we go once that’s gone?

33:05 - Is this an American phenomena and why is it so popular?

37:40 - Racism and misogyny in the genre - who survives?

45:31 - How have the winds changed in the last 5 years?

49:17 - Why should we take zombie preppers seriously?

52:48 - What is Kelly’s favorite zombie flick?

54:10 - What can we learn from zombies?

56:05 - Where to learn more about zombies and Kelly

 

EPISODE LINKS:

Dr. Kelly J. Baker - https://www.kellyjbaker.com/

The Zombies Are Coming: The Realities of the Zombie Apocalypse in American Culture - https://www.kellyjbaker.com/writing/the-zombies-are-coming/ 

Anabaptists - https://amnetwork.uk/resource/anabaptist-common-practices/

Zombie Doomsday Preppers - https://fithops.com/blogs/learning-center/plan-to-survive-zombie-outbreak#:~:text=Essential%20Zombie%20Survival%20Gear,Kit%20for%20Durability%20and%20Efficiency

Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic - https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/6023

Kingdom - https://www.netflix.com/title/81095387

Warm Bodies - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588173/

Halloween Horror Nights - https://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/

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Episode ID: 1000715345848

GUID: 00dc7762-f882-11ef-8d71-e320a527635b

Release Date: 02/07/2025, 03:24:00